The Migratory Pattern of Writers

Here is something I posted on a message board recently and it received some thumbs up. Forgive me if it isn't written with my usual élan (and thanks to the Rouge Waver who tåüght me høw to üse the fünn¥ åccent kéy - ît's a høøt!) but I take it it was relevant:

Here is the usual trajectory of a new screenwriter:

*You learn the rules, you write a terrible script that you think is brilliant. You are crushed to learn it's not brilliant.

*You write script after script, you hew to the rules but your writing is mediocre. You are crushed to learn your writing is mediocre.

*You get totally sick of the rules and the system and you keep writing.

Then you go one of two ways:

A) IF you have talent, real TALENT, and in your heart of hearts you know this, you become somewhere between pissed off and unafraid and then your writing starts to skyrocket and transcend rules because it's just so compelling and personal and full of your voice. Then, slowly, good things start to happen and your tenacity and determination fuels the fire.

OR

B) You search yourself and realize you just don't have the facility with words and story that you thought you did, nor the insanity it takes to keep trying and you bow out with grace and don't look back.

If you are in the A category, you keeping trying with some sort of diagnosable tenacity that scares family members and you live on the vapor of possibility, of stars aligning and of the sheer high you get out of writing. And that path could just lead to a sale, or an independently produced film, or representation and then the story continues....*

*average length of this journey - ten years.

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